Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Mumber Mag 😺😺😺😺😾 @mumbermag
@LitAgentKelly If you my narrator is sarcastic and my humor is sarcastic and my book is sarcastic should the query be sarcastic or whatever?Not necessarily, but it should reflect that feel or tone.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Kati Felix @KatiGirl90
@LitAgentKelly Hi! What are your thoughts on urban fantasy? I hear it's really hard to get an agent if you're querying for UF or contemporary fantasy because the market is so saturated. Is that true or is there hope for UF authors?Stick with saying contemporary fantasy and it will probably help. :) UF has been our for a while, and CF is kind of the new term. Fantasy right now is a bit difficult, but it will swing back eventually.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Sarah K Goldsmith @SarahKGoldsmith
@LitAgentKelly Many thanks for your reply, much appreciated! I have 1 more question if that's ok. Do you accept submissions from UK writers?Yes, most agencies I know of accept queries and submissions from writers all over the world.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly
@AliBabaDeBooks It’s hard to describe, but each author should have their own slant to it, and each character should be different in feel and description and tone. It takes a while to develop, and it should be less descriptive in a query and more focused on drawing in a reader, rather thanMeeting a reader half way. The voice can be the snark or the emotions or the descriptions, but mostly the voice is the specific style in which you use all of this to expand on your character and draw your reader in.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Alexandra Montgomery @AliBabaDeBooks
@LitAgentKelly Oh man! 😂 I feel like writers/agents/editors have different opinions on the actual definition of voice. If you don't mind me asking another question, how would you define it? Is it snarky? Is it descriptive from the mc POV? Is it stream of thought from the mc? #askagentIt’s hard to describe, but each author should have their own slant to it, and each character should be different in feel and description and tone. It takes a while to develop, and it should be less descriptive in a query and more focused on drawing in a reader, rather than
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Madeleine McLaughlin @Madoxane
@LitAgentKelly When a writer pitches to an agent at a conference, what does the writer need to do to make a favorable impression?Be kind, not cry, and be able to have a conversation! Keep your pitch to only a minute or two long, sticking to the main story arc and stakes. Allow time for the agent to ask questions, and allow time for general conversation should it happen, too!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Debra Daugherty @dmddeb
@LitAgentKelly What word count should a middle grade novel have? I've been given conflicting answers to this. Mine has 28,000 words.Depends on if it’s lower or upper middle grade and what genre it’s in. Contemporary trends lower. I’d say for contemporary, a safe spot is about 30-45k words, with fantasy going up to about 55k in upper MG. Everyone differs in this though!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Sifa Elizabeth Poulton @SifaPoulton
@LitAgentKelly Hiya.You hear a lot of "don't query series". How true is this? Is there a 'sweet spot' for series? (duology/trilogy?)
Thanks!
Don’t query series, but do query THE FIRST BOOK of the series. There’s a difference. :) Make sure you query focuses only on the first book and that it’s stated that it’s part of a planned series! Make sure you don’t try to cover the arc of the entire series in query or synopsis!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
EJRunyon @EJRunyon
@LitAgentKelly Can you ever approach someone to represent you with only your blacklist and a few synopsis written for several of your future WIPs?In nonfiction, that could work. Most agents will want to see a full manuscript in order to make that decision though. :)
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Noel Plaugher @shunshifu1990
@LitAgentKelly I have been working directly with publishers. Should I be working with an agent? Is there an advantage?It depends on the way you want to publish! In order to be published by many larger publishers in a traditional sense, you would need an agent.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Shar Lemond @SharLemond
@LitAgentKelly I just queried you and others about my third book in a trilogy--the rest are self-pub. Would any agent be interested in a part of series? I do have some followers waiting for that book, but not a huge amount. I'd LOVE to get into bookstores!!! Thanks.Because you already started the series self published, unless you have sales in the tens of thousands, it’s very unlikely to be picked up by an agent or editor because it’s already been published and out there to the world.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Kale Brunson @KaleBrunson
@LitAgentKelly Yes! How do agents feel about a debut novel ending on a cliffhanger, hinting at sequels? Will it be rejected right away or considered based on other factors within the manuscript?It should be stated in the query that it has series potential! And some people hate ending on cliff hangers while others love it. It’s subjective and fully dependent on the agent and editor tastes. :)
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Sarah K Goldsmith @SarahKGoldsmith
@LitAgentKelly Hi! What does "this isn't a good fit" really mean? Is it just a polite way to say the writer isn't very good? Thanks for any advice :-)It could literally mean anything, unfortunately. It’s a subjective phrase, so depending on the agent and what they’re looking for, it could mean anything.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Joseph Sprenger @JosephSprenger7
@LitAgentKelly Hi, Kelly! I've had wildly varying response times on Queries. My quickest was forty-five minutes, my longest was four months. I was just wondering if that meant anything significant or if its just a coincidence.It’s mostly just depending on how agents run their boxes, how much help they have, and what their current life is like. We read queries during our free time mostly, and our clients have to take up that time first and be priority!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Michael L. Ross @MichaelLRoss7
@LitAgentKelly @SarahWerbach What draws you to represent particular genres?Agents represent what they know and enjoy. If we don’t know and enjoy a genre, we won’t be a good option to work on it or know what it needs in order to sell!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Amber Meredith @AmberMeredith14
@LitAgentKelly What do you look for in a query?Voice and commercial hooks!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Caitlin Cross @caitlincross
@LitAgentKelly @CortneyRadocaj This is so random, but do authors have any say in who narrates the audiobook of their book?Usually not. 🤷🏼♀️ Authors don’t have a lot of say in many things publishers do, including cover designs and such!
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Chris Gerlacher @GerlacherC
@LitAgentKelly If I end up with representation, should I just be working on a second book while my agent is shopping my manuscript around?YES. You will need something to keep your nerves and patience in check! It’s TOUGH being on submission and having more work to do helps to keep the nerves at bay.
Kelly 📚 @LitAgentKelly · Aug 24
Dylan Armstrong @astrongwriter
@LitAgentKelly How often do you get terrible query letters? What do you do when you get one?Everyday. 😂 Did you see the mass email that went out to agents the other day asking for bidders for each word in the query?! And usually if the first page is no good, and the query is no good, it’s an automatic rejection. :(